A ceremony this evening, December 5, will mark a century since the death in captivity of Askam soldier Joseph Henry Jackson.

L/Cpl Jackson was a holder of the Military Medal for bravery and served in the King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment.

He was a prisoner of war and died in Germany on December 5 in 1917.

His sacrifice will be commemorated by the lighting of a candle at 6pm at the Askam and Ireleth War Memorial.

He is buried at Cologne Southern Cemetery.

Members of Askam and Ireleth History Group have been researching the men whose names are recorded on the memorial and holding a ceremony for each of them on the 100th anniversary of their death.

In this case they have been helped by the sharing of photographs, information and records from family members Linda Parkinson and her mother Joan Martin, who have visited his grave, and by Peter Donnelly of the King's Own Regimental Museum at Lancaster.

L/Cpl Jackson was army number 200235 and was a 23-year-old member of the 1/4th Battalion of the King’s Own.

He was born in Askam in 1894 as the son of Joseph and Ann.

In 1901 the family was living at 92 Steel Street.

Joseph had eight siblings; Mary, Elizabeth, Alice, John, Margaret, Anna, William Penny and Fanny.

His father was an ironworks labourer, who died in 1902 in a mining accident, aged 45, and is buried in St Peter’s Churchyard, Ireleth.

In 1911 the family were living at 139 Steel Street and L/Cpl Jackson was a miner at Roanhead Mines for the Kennedy Brothers.

At the time of his death in 1917, the family was at 79 Steel Street.

In 1918 his mother was granted a pension of eight shillings (40p) a week.

L/Cpl Jackson was a pre-war territorial soldier and won his Military Medal for gallantry at Blairville in May 1916.

Under intense bombardment he took ammounition to two guns of the 164th Trench Mortar Battery, despite being hit by a piece of shrapnel.

He was also presented with a gold watch from the people of Askam and Ireleth to mark his distinguished service.

The Barrow News on August 25 in 1917 noted that he was badly wounded and had been missing since July.

It noted: "His many friends regret this gallant soldier’s misfortune, but are looking forward to seeing him again soon."

By September 22 news reached Askam that he was a prisoner of war and was in a hospital at Munster with a broken leg, which was later amputated.

He died of his wounds in hospital on December 5 but news of the soldier's death did not reach his mother until February the following year.

L/Cpl Jackson injury and capture was part of the Third Battle of Ypres - the struggle though the mud towards Passchendaele - from July 31 in 1917.